Spain - Centre for Legal Studies - EJTN

INTRODUCTION

The Centre for Legal Studies was established by the Law of May 26^th, 1944, on the creation of the Judicial School. On June 6^th, 1950, it started working in its current headquarters.

The current Statute, approved by Royal Decree 312/2019 of April 26th, configures the Centre for Legal Studies as an autonomous body linked to the Ministry of Justice through the Secretary of State for Justice.

The Centre for Legal Studies has its own legal personality, budget and treasury, management autonomy and full legal capacity. Although its headquarters are in Madrid, it carries out its activities throughout all the territory, regardless of the competencies of the Autonomous Communities concerning the training of justice professionals.

MISSION

The Centre for Legal Studies develops and implements, in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, the selection and training policies for court managers, forensic doctors, practitioners from the National Institute of Toxicology and Forensic Sciences and other professionals of the Administration of Justice.

It also collaborates with the General Prosecution Office for the training of the Public Prosecution Service and with the State Attorney’s General Office for the continuous training of State Lawyers.

In addition, the Centre for Legal Studies is the training center for security forces in the role of Judicial police.

VISION

The Centre for Legal Studies is configured as a training center for the Administration of Justice. It focuses its training function with a strategic and instrumental vision and assumes its role as a driving force for the transformation of the public service of Justice.

It also plans the training of the Administration of Justice staff in all the necessary areas.

To this end, it is constituted as a space for reflection, dissemination and legal and social debate, opening its gaze and going beyond the strict management of courses.

VALUES

The Centre for Legal Studies is inspired by these values:

• Equality and inclusion.
• Responsability.
• Transparency.
• Participation.
• Institutional cooperation.

TRAINING ACTIVITIES

In 2020, the Centre for Legal Studies began a transformation process, aimed at the implementation of innovative learning methods, the promotion of online training, the increase of the target audience and the evaluation of learning processes and its transfer to the workplace. All teaching plans and training programmes are available on the website.

INITIAL TRAINING

The Centre for Legal Studies runs the second phase of the access to the different professions it trains after passing a state exam based on theoretical knowledge.

The selective courses that make up this phase are aimed at preparing for the performance of professional duties. They consist of a theoretical-practical part and supervised practices.

Initial training also includes the training of judicial police and the backup personnel entering the profession for the first time.

CONTINUOUS TRAINING

A.    Continuous training-specific plans

The Centre for Legal Studies designs every year specific continuous training plans for the different careers and bodies suited to the needs and functions of each professional role.

B. Continuous training transversal plan

The transversal training plan the Centre for Legal Studies has been offering since 2021 is aimed at all the careers and bodies it trains. The goal is to enable the acquisition of the necessary skills to work in the public service of Justice regardless of the professional profile. Training in language skills is included in this plan.

C. Open training

The Centre for Legal Studies offers training open to the public, focused on the attention to citizens from the Administration of Justice. It has an interdisciplinary perspective and special attention to equality, inclusion, and the fight against gender-based violence.

These contents are available on its website or on free and open-access platforms.

D. International training

The Centre for Legal Studies carries out an intense international activity aimed at promoting the exchange of knowledge between members of the careers and bodies it trains and their counterparts in other countries.

Currently, the Centre for Legal Studies belongs to the European Judicial Training Network (EJTN), among other international networks and institutions.

E. Equality programme

The Equality programme includes all the training activity on these matters developed by the Centre for Legal Studies in compliance with article 434 LOPJ. According to this regulation, it must offer training on the principle of equality, detection and treatment of gender-based violence, and the rights of children and teenagers, with a focus on disability.

The first well-rounded training plan in this area, drawn up in 2023, includes the actions promoted with this approach in 2022 and 2023, with the aim of putting them together into comprehensive annual plans in the future.